There are lots of quotes about history repeating itself, those forgetting history being doomed to repeat it, and so forth. So in that light, I decided to reach back to the past — 1977, specifically — and share a “recipe for personal development [job search] that produces a baker’s dozen to enhance your potential.” (I was doing some start-of-the year file purging, cleaning out some old files, and this was culled from The Administrators’ Co-op Newsletter (for educators, principals, etc.)
Funny how some things don’t really change ;)
1. Know the position you seek.
2. Look the part.
3. Act the part.
4. Be prepared.
5. Obtain outstanding references.
6. Stand on a record of accomplishment and success.
7. Become visible.
8. Practice.
9. Seek feedback.
10. Actively engage in professional growth.
11. Actively assume positions of responsibility.
12. Target your job search.
13. Become associated with like-minded professionals.
There’s not one “ingredient” in this “recipe” that I don’t give to job-seekers today! What do you think?
– Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW; President, Absolute Advantage
Career Management Expert with CareerThoughtLeaders.com
If you’re among the 10% of folks unemployed, the 40% or so unhappily employed/underemployed, those who’ve not yet landed a job following graduation from college in 2009 (or 2008), or even those well-employed who are ready to take on a new challenge in a fresh environment, the new year provides the classic opportunity to actuate a brand-new game plan and achieve the career goals you’ve set for yourself.
The problem is–that’s what nearly everyone who falls in the above categories is thinking. So, you’re competing with probably the single largest pool of potential candidates as you will at any time of the year for any given opportunity that’s out there. Bottom-line, what does this mean? You must differentiate yourself. There’s the old saying, “the cream always rises to the top.” While that can often be true, don’t leave it to chance. Your go-to market campaign (networking approach, executive resume/one-page resume summary, cover letter, resume, even follow-up letters, thank-yous, and 90- and 180-day business plans) must distinguish what you can deliver and position you ahead of the competition in a concise, authentic, and validated manner. There’s no room for just-okay or mediocre in how you present yourself. To break through the clutter, you’ve got to break out of the tedium and that’s-the-way-I’ve-always-written-my-resume to ensure you get not only a second look, but a chance to prove what you can really deliver.
Over the weeks and months ahead, I’ll blog some of the most effective strategies you can implement to stand out the way your job search requires. Stay tuned! (and happy new year)
–Jan Melnik, MRW, CCM, CPRW; President, Absolute Advantage; Career Management Expert, www.careerthoughtleaders.com